Each year more than 1000 artists coming from more than 55 countries stay in one of the 325 residence’s studios. One of these talented figures is Temandrota (Razafimandimby Randriahasandrata), a visual artist from Madagascar who specialises in large-style, mixed-media paintings.

I was introduced to Temandrota by two of my dearest connections in Madagascar, Cécile Bidaud and her husband Tahina Rakotoarivony of Is’Art Galerie (another post will be dedicated specifically to this amazing cultural space in the heart of Antananarivo, Madagascar).

I met Temandrota on a Sunday afternoon in late May, right in his studio, one of the most colorful spaces I have ever seen. What makes him unique? His style, the extremely large canvas (“les tableaux“), and the attachment to his land, which perspires from his art.

How long does it take him to make a piece like this one? 15 years of meditation and two days of work. Here the details:

The themes he explores throughout his art are different: world news, culture, the island of Madagascar, and the role of technology in our daily lives – such as the telephone, the transmission of information it allows and the fact of being anywhere, everywhere, anytime (as he puts it, être partout). It’s constant…

Art for him is a way to leave oneself and live for and through others:

Another piece worth mentioning is the “feuille d’histoire” (“history leaf”). This brings back memories from the past, from the land of one’s home. In his case, Madagascar.

“The leaf”, Temandrota explains, “is fundamental in the village where I’m from.” One can’t help but notice the contrast between the hardness of the metal and the “rondeur et douceur” (“roundness and softness”) of the real leaf.

A dozen of Temandrota’s works will be exhibited from June 7th to June 30th 2017 at the Galerie de la Cité International des Arts de Paris (Facebook event). The entrance is free for the public, so if you’re in Paris, make sure to check him out!

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